Horford’s Career Night Gives Home-Court Advantage Back to Boston
Al Horford had never scored 30 points in a playoff game before Monday. His signature postseason performance came at the perfect time for the Celtics.
The Celtics are alive in this second-round series because of a 35-year old ex-All-Star acquired last summer for a broken point guard and a mid-first round pick.
Who knew that when Brad Stevens, in one of his first acts as president of basketball operations, flipped Kemba Walker and Boston’s ’21 first to acquire Horford,
Horford has played 132 playoff games in his career. Few were better than this one. None, perhaps, were more impactful.
In 42 minutes, Horford scored a playoff career-high 30 points, 16 in the fourth quarter. “He made big shots,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
Mike Gorman, the voice of the Celtics for nearly four decades, tweeted it was a top-three fourth quarter performance from a Celtics player.
Said Ime Udoka, “We really needed him to step up with guys being out. He took that on his shoulders.”